Designed to make the study of Dickens'"Great Expectations" an appealing and worthwhile experience, this paper presents a unit of study intended to help students gain (1) an appreciation of Dickens' skill at creating realistic human characters; (2) an insight into the problems of a young man confused by false values and unreal ambitions…

Individuals in 14 job categories at the Analytical Instrument Division of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation were observed and interviewed for six months to determine their reading practices at work and in leisure settings. The individuals ranged from a research chemist and a printed circuit designer, to a quality assurance inspector and a mechanical…

Intended to help parents and teachers select books for young people that reflect the actual interests of adolescents, this booklet discusses titles that both appeal to teenagers and help adults gain insight into their needs, their concerns, and their values. Titles of chapters in the booklet are as follows: (1) "Are Young Adult Books…

Describes aspects of several libraries in Rio de Janeiro. Topics covered include library policies, budgets, periodicals and books in the collections, classification schemes used, and literary areas of interest to patrons. (6 references) (CLB)

Describes the construction of a nonreading instrument (Preschool Reading Attitudes Scale) designed to assess attitudes toward reading in young children, aged three through five years. Demonstrates the scale to be valid and reliable with these age groups. (HOD)

Describes how an English teacher in a Queens, New York, ghetto school introduced her grade nine students to Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations." Focuses on students' responses, which eventually became enthusiastic, and discusses the use of classics within the curriculum. (KH)

Suggests sports literature as an alternative to traditional course work in high school reading classes. Explains how best to use it. (FL)

Reviews recent literature on student motivation and links it with possible classroom practices for improving the reading and study skills of adolescents. (FL)

In the mystery genre, the one characteristic that the enduring figures of Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and Encyclopedia Brown have in common is a rational mind. The source of their strength is their ability to think and think well. A study examined some typical examples of the mystery genre in young adult literature and surveyed children and…

Offers eight activities designed to promote positive reading attitudes in elementary school students. (FL)

Summarizes a study that investigated teachers' three favorite books as a child and what they felt to be the three best and the three most popular children's books now. Compares the results to a similar study conducted in 1949. (HTH)

This article describes how to create a "literature oasis" that will encourage gifted students to read. The process involves conducting student interviews to determine interests and attitudes, evaluating programs and practices regarding literature, designing a conducive classroom, and using literature circles and literature response logs. (CR)

Discusses the independent reading choices of students in grades six, seven, and eight at one middle school in Maryland. (MG)

Surveys reading attitudes, habits, and perceptions about reading of 84 adults in a wide variety of occupations. Finds more positive attitudes toward reading, more time spent reading, and higher ratings of own reading ability among adults with more education and adults employed in higher status occupations. Finds no educational or occupational…

Challenging the common image of reading as a solitary activity, this article describes the social settings in which young people participated in the print culture of a late 19th-century small midwestern town. Analysis of library borrowing records shows that both adults and youth read "low" fiction, shared titles, and engaged in a common culture,…